Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1887-08-25
A Sermon to Farmers.
BY REV. E. e. CLouem, OF Platteville.

Edtt0r Herald: 1 have been think
ing of short sermon to the Grant
county farmers having lived in the
county one year and seen some of it,.
In one of the most trying years in the
experience of western farmers. Grant
county has been especially favored.
Things are better in Grant. Iowa and
Lafayette than in any other portion Of
the state. So be thankful.
The tendency in farming is that where
one thing pays, to run that specially
and neglect everything else. When |
came to Mineral Point it was cattle
cattle. One could ride miles without
seeing a field of wheat. Having been
brought up in the limestone section of
N. Y, it seemed mistake to see only
a speciality and farmers buying bread.
We were taught that on every farm
there was sure to be some foul fields or
run down spots, That each year a
good farmer would summer fallow one
or more of these, haul out the cIearings
of his barnyard and try to bring up the
poor to a full crop condition, then sow
it to winter wheat and may be SOW
timothy seed with it, sowing early and
planting in deep. The next spring
seeding with clover and sowing plaster
when the seed was coming up. And
so farms got better instead of poorer
and meadows were constantly renewed
was also taught that young meadows
were most productive; that clover
should never be expected to yield but
one great crop, then clover aud timothy
one; then the field be replowed. 1 saw
one farm practically ruined BY raising
timothy seed.
During the last two dreadful seasons
we have seen the difference between
old and new meadows and The future
hay crop is the most serious legacy left
us by this protracted drawth. Indeed
things are so badly dsarranged that
farmers must begin on theirfarms anew
and future CHRONOLOGY will date from
the drowth of 1886 and 81.
What ought to be done? Cease to
be specialists. If cattle pay. raise them
if they don't pay raise them still, to
tramp the land. Raise some winter
wheat; put work upon it. Don't buy
your bread at 81 per 100tbs when you
can raise it for Sl.25 and have the bran
and middlings left. One hundred
bushels of wheat will yield about $500
pounds of flour and 2200 of good feed.
The flour is worth at least $40. The
bran, SIS to $l6-about 20 cents per
bushel; and there, too, it will renstate
the small grist mill which the country
cannot afford to do without The farm
ers buying their flour have ruined
vast amount OF necessary property,
and taken just that much money out Of
the county that ought to have staid in;
has helped Minneapolis only. Don't raise
spring wheat, because it is the chidtz
bugs main chance. Where it is much
raised ne hourishes; where he flourish
es nobody else does. Let spring wheat
entirely alone for fear of yet suffering
what spring wheat counties have suf-
fered this year-being eaten up.
Farming is hard work. Its pay is
largely in kind. The farmer doesn't
see as much money as other people be-
cause he has home, fuel. and food be-
fore he begins to taru any thing into
money while tine mechanic must turn q
mint of money INTO house. fuel, food
a gentleman recently told me of Il
severe drowth in Ohio forty years ago.
He said the wise dairy men wint~red
their cows on an average of less than
one-half ton of hay, or coarse feed Of
straw or corn fodder and then putting
on middlings. He said ton of
middlings and one-half ton of coarse
feed brought them through handsomely
when steamed. The man who brings
his cattle through this winter is wise
for soon they will boom again. He
that stays by his general farming is
WISE
Two years ago tried to study why
the hills of New York did not wash as
badly as ours aud | became satisfied
that the farms being smaller the fields
had more tramping which gives it more
like its old-time native frmness, and
light soils are made solid. Sow more
clover and SOW plaster on it when it is
coming up and it will renew your run
down fields. Clover is easily raised
and is food for other crops. Sow man.
mouth clover for hogs it is more tender
then the medium because it grows fas-
ter. No farmer can afford to raise
hogs who does not have clover pas
ture. He should have two and renew
them each year. If you want to get
clover your COWS like, SOW Allsike.
The seed is so small that little of it
goes a great ways. If the poor man
can bring to his table what the rich
man gets with money, why is he not
as well OFF, Pay attention to the
kitchen garden. He who is too busy TO
look after the garden is too busy to have
diversified diet. Farmers are never
too busy to do what they .hink pays
well. If there is money in it there is
plenty Of time. You can get comfort
out of money if sou know how, but it
takes great deal of money to bring
as much comfort as a good garden.
If you are going to have good one
next year begin to get ready for it now.
He who minds little things is the good
farmer. 1t easier and happier to be
good farmer than poor one The
farm does not make the farmer but the
farmer makes the farm. Somebody
will be the best farmer in this county.
Who will it be? Why not you? Young
man try and keep trying.
E. E. CLoUGH.